Panel protest over farm drugs show

Sunday Telegraph

By DAVID BROWNAgricultural Correspondent

A CONTROVERSIAL BBC television programme which said people may be harmed by drugs used on farm animals, has been attacked as a “nightmare” experience and “trial by television of the worst sort” by two farm industry panellists who took part in it.

The programme, shown on May 8, was the first in a new BBC2, “Brass Tacks” series. It included a 30-minute film showing intensive farms and slaughter-house scenes, followed by a studio debate on alternative “organic” farming.

One of the panellists, Mr Robin Pooley, chairman of the British Poultry Meat Association and managing director of Britain’s biggest poultry producer said yesterday: “It was trial by television of the worst possible sort.

The BBC said yesterday that all panellists were made fully aware of the film’s contents. It accepted “that the cover of the Radio Times in question misled some people about the actual contents of the programme.”

The BBC spokesman denied that an internal inquiry is planned at the BBC about the “Brass Tacks” programme.